SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express, following lengthy behind-the-scenes talks, admit they are thinking of forging closer business links, perhaps even a merger. Last week, the companies signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) to place both carriers under a common umbrella. SN Airholding, Brussels' parent company, would hold a 70.1% stake and Richard Branson's Virgin Group, the remaining 29.9%. The two airlines would coordinate and "optimize" route systems but retain corporate identities. According to the LOI, Virgin has until Dec.
Astronomers studying the most distant object ever spotted in the Solar System plan to use the Hubble Space Telescope soon to check their theory that the mysterious object has a moon. Dubbed "Sedna" after the Inuit sea goddess who lives in a cold, dark region beneath the Arctic Sea, the object rotates every 40 Earth days. Scientists hypothesize it does so in lockstep with a satellite like Pluto and Charon, and will use the Hubble to try to resolve it directly.
The Airbus A380 will be an impressive aircraft, but I probably would not fly in one if the opportunity arises. There will be too many people in one place at one time.
Aviation Week & Space Technology's coverage of the space shuttle Columbia accident on Feb. 1, 2003, and its aftermath won the 2004 Jesse H. Neal Award for best news coverage in the largest publications category. The awards, sponsored by American Business Media, are the highest journalism honors bestowed on U.S. trade publications, covering all industries and professions. There were 1,283 entries this year. AW&ST was also first runner-up for the Grand Neal Award, a "best of the best" recognition among the 26 Neal winners.
Christopher Chadwick (see photo) has been promoted to vice president-F/A-18 program from deputy program manager at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis. He succeeds Tony Parasida, who is now vice president-program management and independent review.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Robert Wall (Washington)
There are signs the F/A-22 Raptor program is running into the same lethal combination of financial pressures, uneven progress in development and intensified congressional scrutiny that led to the cancellation of the U.S. Army's RAH-66 Comanche.
EDS' $2.05-billion sale of its UGS PLM Solutions business unit to three equity firms last week should give the company greater flexibility to work with other major software integrators. PLM Solutions markets the Teamcenter product life-cycle management (PLM) software portfolio commonly used by aerospace and defense contractors.
A powerful new Ku-/Ka-band spacecraft will help give Eutelsat unparalled coverage of the African and Asian continents, while reinforcing service in Europe and expanding its broadband network. Eutelsat's W3A was lofted into orbit at 7 deg. E. Long. on Mar. 16 by an International Launch Systems Proton booster. The spacecraft's 58-transponder payload--50 of which can be used simultaneously--is the first to use the high-power E3000 bus designed by EADS Astrium. The payload will offer onboard multiplexing for up to six channels.
After posting record 2003 net earnings of $83.6 million, LanChile is positioning for expansion in the international market. A partnership with Iberia added Brussels and Milan late last year. Affiliate LanPeru has started new flights from Lima to Buenos Aires and Quito and is planning flights to Caracas, Bogota and Mexico City, complementing already established routes from Lima to Santiago and Guayaquil. LanChile will add four Boeing 767-300s in 2004, and is increasing its 767-300 fleet to 15. Two Airbus A319s were delivered in December.
William H. Pickering, one of the pioneers of the U.S. space program and a longtime director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, died Mar. 15 of pneumonia at home in La Canada Flintridge, Calif. He was 93.
The Helicopter Assn. International's Heli-Expo convention opened with a boom in orders for aircraft and services that bodes well for an industry stuck in a hover for the past three years. Airframe manufacturers announced orders for more than 70 new helicopters on the first day of the show, and exhibitors were doing a brisk business throughout last week's event. Bell Helicopter Textron and archrival Eurocopter signed multiple deals, and Sikorsky inked long-term contracts for the S-92 and S-76. Other major news at the show:
The European Parliament's Citizens' Rights Committee adopted a draft resolution objecting to the agreement by the European Commission last year to provide U.S. authorities with 34 items of passenger name record data on air passengers bound for America.
Thales reported a 17% rise in operating earnings to 698 million euros ($865.5 million) in 2003, but consolidated sales dropped 5%, to 10.6 billion euros, largely due to exchange rate variations. Although orders grew a modest 2% to 10.9 billion euros, defense orders surged 16%.
Chautauqua Airways is scheduled to take delivery in 2004-05 of the 16 Embraer ERJ 145LRs it ordered last week to expand routes operated as a Delta Connection carrier. The Brazilian manufacturer also confirmed that the 98-108-seat Embraer 190 (above), which made a 2.45-hr.-long maiden flight on Mar. 12, is expected to obtain certification in the third quarter of next year.
The graphs with the story "Work in Progress" (AW&ST Mar. 1, p. 45) show nonpersonnel costs increased for US Airways and United Airlines. Do I understand correctly that capacity purchases from regional carriers are to account for a large part of this cost? Which in turn drives up cost per seat mile with mainline aircraft flying less? American Airlines' nonpersonal costs dropped dramatically. Is this because AA owns its regional carrier and cut its costs or flew mainline aircraft more, without reducing capacity as much?
Of the world's two principal regional jet manufacturers--Canada's Bombardier Co. and Brazil's Embraer--the latter is widely perceived to be the more efficient airframe manufacturer. But is it really? Embraer last week posted fourth-quarter earnings of 39 cents, which were in line with consensus. However, they represented the fourth consecutive quarter in which the company's operating performance fell below expectations of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) analysts, leading them to question the profitability of Embraer's current backlog.
A powerful new Ku-/Ka-band spacecraft will help give Eutelsat unparalled coverage of the African and Asian continents, while reinforcing service in Europe and expanding its broadband network. Eutelsat's W3A was lofted into orbit at 7 deg. E. Long. on Mar. 16 by an International Launch Systems Proton booster. The spacecraft's 58-transponder payload--50 of which can be used simultaneously--is the first to use the high-power E3000 bus designed by EADS Astrium. The payload will offer onboard multiplexing for up to six channels.
Addressing a gathering of the Wings Club in New York last week, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Alan Mulally called the proposed 7E7 "Son of the Sonic Cruiser," and "The People's Choice." He said assembly of a 7E7 could possibly be pared to three days, noting the aircraft's market entry date is 2008. Timing will be ideal, he said, with most airlines posting substantial orders to replace large numbers of aging aircraft. Engine selection is closer at hand with a decision expected by midyear. One or more engine suppliers will get the nod.
Deutsche Post Chairman Klaus Zumwinkel says the company will continue to pursue potential foreign acquisitions, particularly in the U.S. and Asia. The company's DHL parcel express unit recently struck a partnership agreement with Lufthansa Cargo, and is looking to expand its ground network in North America (AW&ST Feb. 23, p. 47). However, Zumwinkel said he saw mail opportunities as well. The company reported earnings of 1.3 billion euros in 2003 on sales of 40 billion euros.
Thales reported a 17% rise in operating earnings to 698 million euros ($865.5 million) in 2003, but consolidated sales dropped 5%, to 10.6 billion euros, largely due to exchange rate variations. Although orders grew a modest 2% to 10.9 billion euros, defense orders surged 16%.
Lea Black (see photo) has been appointed vice president/ general manager of the Damar Machine Co., Monroe, Wash. She was vice president-operations at Giddens Industries, Everett, Wash.
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Gilles Bouctot (see photo) has become chairman/CEO of Paris-based Messier Services. He succeeds Benoit Gosset, who will take another position within the Snecma Group. Bouctot was special project director for strategic analysis for Messier-Dowty and Messier Services.
